Flexible Footwear Retaining Device

ABSTRACT

A flexible footwear retaining device is designed to accept and retain articles of footwear thereon. The device includes a hanging cord, a first stopper, a second stopper, an eyelet, and at least one shoe holding mechanism. Where the at least one shoe holding mechanism is connected to the eyelet, while the eyelet is connected to the hanging cord, and the hanging cord is connected to the first stopper and the second stopper. The at least one shoe holding mechanism further includes a first insert and a second insert. Each of which further includes an insert rim and an insert shell that is inserted into the footwear article and retained thereafter. The inserts are connected to the at least one shoe holding mechanism and subsequently the eyelet such that the footwear articles may be suspended within an enclosed drying environment and prevent slipping through the first stopper and the second stopper.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/677,529 filed on May 29, 2018.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a retaining device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible footwear retaining device and mounting assembly thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rain, mud, and other poor conditions can result in damage to a person's footwear. An experienced athlete will continue to run or otherwise exercise through storms and adverse conditions. Further, sometimes articles of footwear get dirty in the course of casual wear. People who occasionally walk on grass, scuff their footwear, or otherwise walk imperfectly may desire to clean their footwear occasionally.

The use of a household washer and dryer is often the ideal solution to dirty articles of footwear. Particularly athletic shoes, which are designed to be lightweight and breathable, are easy to clean in washing machines. However, when placed into a drying environment such as a clothes dryer, the motion of the dryer thereof results in the banging of the articles of footwear within the drying environment. Not only is this loud and obtrusive, but the repeated collisions of the shoes against the door, back wall, and chamber can result in component failure due to fatigue. This can cause irreparable damage to the dryer. The abrasive movements can also cause other clothing to get trapped against the shoes, resulting in tearing or other damage. The extraneous articles of footwear themselves can be structurally damaged in this process as well. What is needed is a device that can restrain articles of footwear during the drying process. Further desirable is a device that can prevent shoes from being damaged, or from damaging other items during the drying process within the drying environment.

The present invention addresses these issues through a first insert and a second insert that enable structural support of the shoes during the drying process. This facilitates proper drying, allowing hot air to blow through the shoe efficiently, preferably through a plurality of apertures. The first insert and the second insert are connected by a crossbar, forming a unibody structure alongside an extension bar that spans to the eyelet that thereafter retains the position of the shoes relative to each other. Where an attached hanging cord allows the user to mount the shoes against the door of the dryer or the extraneous drying environment. Whereupon a first stopper and a second stopper facilitate halting the motion of the hanging cord when lodged within the extraneous closure of the drying environment. This prevents the shoes from banging wildly against the door, the chamber, or the other items contained within a given dryer cycle while exposing the interior of the shoe to the drying environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention, where the hanging cord is observed slidably engaged through the eyelet.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the present invention, where the sole-shaped opening is observed traversing into the first insert and the second insert through the respective shell bodies thereof.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention where the grasping hole of the first insert and the second insert are observed traversing into the shell bodies of the respective inserts.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the present invention thereof, where the insert rim is observed positioned around the sole-shaped opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1-4, the present invention is a flexible footwear retaining device. The present invention permits a user to couple and retain an extraneous article of footwear, that thereafter may be mounted within a drying environment such as an extraneous dryer or similar. A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hanging cord 10, a first stopper 20, a second stopper 30, an eyelet 60, and at least one shoe holding mechanism 70, which are shown in FIGS. 1-4. The hanging cord 10 facilitates suspension of the at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 upon mounting within the drying environment and preventing dislodgement from the drying environment through the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30. Preferably, the hanging cord 10 is a ribbon-shaped body that facilitates passage through the crevices between the extraneous closure of the drying environment, and the extraneous frame thereof. Whereupon the ribbon-shaped body better permits the extraneous closure of the drying environment to seal shut, thus better securing drying of the articles within the drying environment. The first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30 are laterally pressed around the hanging cord 10, so that upon engagement with an extraneous closure of the drying environment, the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30 may halt the traversal of the hanging cord 10 respectively therethrough. Preferably, the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30 are made from a frictional material that prevents motion of the hanging cord 10 respectively therethrough amid shear or compressive forces about the first stopper 20 and second stopper 30. Further, the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30 are preferably deformable and may be advantageously composed of rubber or a similar material that may accommodate deformation to further facilitate friction upon the hanging cord 10. The eyelet 60 is used to accommodate and suspend from the hanging cord 10 therethrough, with the hanging cord 10 being slidably engaged through the eyelet 60. The eyelet 60 is further positioned between the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30 along the hanging cord 10, thus centering the eyelet 60 between the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30. The at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 is used to retain at least one extraneous article of footwear thereto through insertion into the footwear. The at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 is laterally mounted to the eyelet 60 and thus generally centered between the first stopper 20 and the second stopper 30, hanging beneath the eyelet 60. The at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 comprises a first insert 75 and a second insert 76. The first insert 75 and the second insert 76 respectively are used to accommodate and retain a first extraneous article of footwear and a second extraneous article of footwear.

Because conventional footwear generally is provided in pairs, the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 are used respectively for the separate halves of the footwear in the preferred embodiment. Thus, the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 are positioned offset from each other to retain separate extraneous articles of footwear. Further, the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 each comprise an insert shell 761 and an insert rim 762. To which the insert shell 761 is pressed into the opening of the extraneous article of footwear and renders generally flush to the interior surfaces thereof, thus retaining the extraneous article of footwear. In the preferred embodiment, the insert shell 761 is an arcuate flexible body so that the insert shell 761 may be pressed through the opening of the extraneous article of footwear; deforming on the way therethrough and biasing back to the respective insert's previous shape within the extraneous article of footwear. While the individual insert rim 762 is used to retain the profile of the first insert 75 and the second insert 76, respectively. To which the insert rim 762 may abut an inner sole-shaped perimeter of the extraneous article of footwear. Preferably, the insert rim 762 is a semi-rigid body that maintains reasonable deformity alongside biasing that returns the insert rim 762 to a sole-shaped profile. Because of the at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 being laterally mounted to the eyelet 60, alongside the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 being positioned offset from each other, the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 are positioned offset from the eyelet 60 consequently. The individual insert shell 761 further comprises a shell body 7612 and a sole-shaped opening 7611. The shell body 7612 is the surface and interior volume of the individual insert shell 761 with the insert rim 762 being connected onto the shell body 7612. The sole-shaped opening 7611 traverses into the shell body 7612 therefore permitting air from the extraneous drying environment to communicate through the sole-shaped opening 7611. Because the sole-shaped opening 7611 traverses into the shell body 7612; possessing a similar sole-profile, alongside the insert rim 762 being connected onto the shell body 7612, the insert rim 762 is positioned around the sole-shaped opening 7611.

In addition, the present invention further comprises a first grip 40 and a second grip 50 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Because the eyelet 60, first stopper 20, and second stopper 30 are positioned between the first grip 40 and the second grip 50 along the hanging cord 10, the first grip 40 and the second grip 50 restricts the hanging cord 10 from fully retracting into the interior of the drying environment. The first grip 40 and the second grip 50 are both slidably engaged with the hanging cord 10 so that they may be inserted, removed, and adjusted along the hanging cord 10. Additionally, the first grip 40 and the second grip 50 each further comprise a grip body 51 and a compression locking mechanism 52 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. The grip body 51 is preferably a rigid body such as plastic, metal or similar that may be used to grasp the hanging cord 10; with the grip body 51 laterally positioned around the hanging cord 10. The compression locking mechanism 52 is used to engage and disengage the grip body 51 with the hanging cord 10. Preferably, the compression locking mechanism 52 is a biased means of locking such as a depressible spring locking push button or similar. Thus, the compression locking mechanism 52 is operatively integrated into the grip body 51, wherein the compression locking mechanism 52 is used to selectively lock the grip body 51 in place along the hanging cord 10.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1-4, the at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 further comprises an extension arm 71, a crossbar 72, a first offset nub 73, and a second offset nub 74. The extension arm 71 is used to lower the center of gravity of the at least one shoe holding mechanism 70. To which, the eyelet 60 is terminally connected with the extension arm 71 and thus permitted to orient subject to gravity about an arbitrary point along the hanging cord 10. The crossbar 72 is used to separate and offset the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 from each other. Because the crossbar 72 is terminally connected to the extension arm 71, opposite the eyelet 60, the distribution of weight upon the eyelet 60 is further oriented vertically thereunder when connected with the hanging cord 10. The first offset nub 73 and the second offset nub 74 are used to orthogonally offset the first insert 75 body and the second insert 76 body respectively from the planar configuration defined by the extension arm 71 and the crossbar 72. The first offset nub 73 preferably traverses through the opening of the extraneous article of footwear to permit the communication of air therethrough. Thus, permitting the extraneous article of footwear to be retained and held parallel with the closure of the extraneous drying environment. The first offset nub 73 is orthogonally positioned with the crossbar 72 and the extension arm 71, alongside the second offset nub 74 that is also orthogonally positioned with the crossbar 72 and the extension arm 71. Thus, the first offset nub 73 and the second offset nub 74 protrude normal to the configuration of the extension arm 71 and the crossbar 72. Further, the first offset nub 73 and the second offset nub 74 are positioned opposite to each other along the crossbar 72. Whereupon the first insert 75 is adjacently connected to the first offset nub 73, offset the crossbar 72; alongside the second insert 76 that is adjacently connected to the second offset nub 74, opposite the crossbar 72. Thus, the first insert 75 and the second insert 76 are offset from the crossbar 72 and may orient the extraneous article of footwear planarly with the extraneous closure of the drying environment, orienting the opening of the shoe opposite the extraneous closure of the drying environment.

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the individual insert shell 761 further comprises a grasping hole 7613 and a plurality of apertures 7614. The grasping hole 7613 is used to grasp the shell body 7612 through the grasping hole 7613, and to thereafter remove the individual insert shell 761 from the extraneous article of footwear. Because the grasping hole 7613 and the plurality of apertures 7614 traverses through the shell body 7612, the communication of air from the drying environment is maintained through the grasping hole 7613 and sole-shaped opening 7611, and thereafter communicating with the interior surface of the extraneous article of footwear exposed through the plurality of apertures 7614. Because the first offset nub 73 is used to pass through the opening of the extraneous article of footwear, the grasping hole 7613 of the first insert 75 is adjacently positioned to the first offset nub 73. Similarly, because the second offset nub 74 is used to pass through the opening of another extraneous article of footwear, the respective grasping hole 7613 of the second insert 76 is adjacently positioned to the second offset nub 74. Further, the plurality of apertures 7614 is positioned around the grasping hole 7613, alongside the plurality of apertures 7614 being distributed across the shell body 7612 so that the air of the drying environment is in fluid communication with a majority of the interior surface of the extraneous article of footwear.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the first insert 75 and the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the second insert 76 are oriented parallel with each other. Whereupon the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the first insert 75 and the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the second insert 76 are oriented in a uniform direction. Thus, the extraneous articles of footwear are oriented in a parallel arrangement that orients the openings thereof uniformly toward the drying environment. Because the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the first insert 75 and the sole-shaped opening 7611 of the second insert 76 are oriented parallel with each other, the extraneous articles of footwear both planarly rest against the extraneous closure of the drying environment.

In some embodiments, to better accommodate a larger plurality of footwear, the at least one shoe holding mechanism 70 may be a plurality of shoe holding mechanisms 70. To which, the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms 70 is serially connected to each other. Thus, the present invention may accommodate a greater plurality of footwear about a single eyelet 60 by imparting additional inserts beyond the second insert 76. Preferably, the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms 70 is in even counts and equally distributed about the crossbar 72 to better balance the present invention. Although odd counts of the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms 70 may be accommodated in some embodiments where the first insert 75 is centered vertically beneath the eyelet 60 about the crossbar 72.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A flexible footwear retaining device comprises: a hanging cord; a first stopper; a second stopper; an eyelet; at least one shoe holding mechanism; the at least one shoe holding mechanism comprises a first insert and a second insert; the first insert and the second insert each comprise an insert shell and an insert rim; the insert shell comprises a shell body and a sole-shaped opening; the first stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the second stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the hanging cord being slidably engaged through the eyelet; the eyelet being positioned in between the first stopper and the second stopper along the hanging cord; the at least one shoe holding mechanism being laterally mounted to the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from each other; the sole-shaped opening traversing into the shell body; the insert rim being connected onto the shell body; and the insert rim being positioned around the sole-shaped opening.
 2. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a first grip; a second grip; the first grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; the second grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; and the eyelet, first stopper, and second stopper being positioned between the first grip and the second grip along the hanging cord.
 3. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 2 comprises: the first grip and the second grip each comprise a grip body and a compression locking mechanism; the grip body being laterally positioned around the hanging cord; and the compression locking mechanism being operatively integrated into the grip body, wherein the compression locking mechanism is used to selectively lock the grip body in place along the hanging cord.
 4. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises the at least one shoe holding mechanism further comprises an extension arm, a crossbar, a first offset nub, and a second offset nub; the eyelet being terminally connected with the extension arm; the crossbar being terminally connected to the extension arm, opposite the eyelet; the first offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the second offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the first offset nub and the second offset nub being positioned opposite to each other along the crossbar; the first insert being adjacently connected to the first offset nub, offset the crossbar; and the second insert being adjacently connected to the second offset nub, offset the crossbar.
 5. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the insert shell further comprises a grasping hole and a plurality of apertures; the grasping hole and the plurality of apertures traversing through the shell body; the grasping hole of the first insert being adjacently positioned to the first offset nub; the grasping hole of the second insert being adjacently positioned to the second offset nub; the plurality of apertures being positioned around the grasping hole; and the plurality of apertures being distributed across the shell body.
 6. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented parallel with each other; and the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented in a uniform direction.
 7. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the at least one shoe holding mechanism being a plurality of shoe holding mechanisms; and the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms being serially connected to each other.
 8. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the insert shell being an arcuate flexible body.
 9. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the insert rim being a semi-rigid body.
 10. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the hanging cord being a ribbon-shaped body.
 11. A flexible footwear retaining device comprises: a hanging cord; a first stopper; a second stopper; an eyelet; at least one shoe holding mechanism; the at least one shoe holding mechanism comprises a first insert, a second insert, an extension arm, a crossbar, a first offset nub, and a second offset nub; the first insert and the second insert each comprise an insert shell and an insert rim; the insert shell comprises a shell body and a sole-shaped opening; the first stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the second stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the hanging cord being slidably engaged through the eyelet; the eyelet being positioned in between the first stopper and the second stopper along the hanging cord; the at least one shoe holding mechanism being laterally mounted to the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from each other; the sole-shaped opening traversing into the shell body; the insert rim being connected onto the shell body; the insert rim being positioned around the sole-shaped opening; the eyelet being terminally connected with the extension arm; the crossbar being terminally connected to the extension arm, opposite the eyelet; the first offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the second offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the first offset nub and the second offset nub being positioned opposite to each other along the crossbar; the first insert being adjacently connected to the first offset nub, offset the crossbar; and the second insert being adjacently connected to the second offset nub, offset the crossbar.
 12. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 11 comprises: a first grip; a second grip; the first grip and the second grip each comprise a grip body and a compression locking mechanism; the first grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; the second grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; the eyelet, first stopper, and second stopper being positioned between the first grip and the second grip along the hanging cord; the grip body being laterally positioned around the hanging cord; and the compression locking mechanism being operatively integrated into the grip body, wherein the compression locking mechanism is used to selectively lock the grip body in place along the hanging cord.
 13. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 11 comprises: the insert shell further comprises a grasping hole and a plurality of apertures; the grasping hole and the plurality of apertures traversing through the shell body; the grasping hole of the first insert being adjacently positioned to the first offset nub; the grasping hole of the second insert being adjacently positioned to the second offset nub; the plurality of apertures being positioned around the grasping hole; and the plurality of apertures being distributed across the shell body.
 14. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 11 comprises: the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented parallel with each other; and the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented in a uniform direction.
 15. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 11 comprises: the at least one shoe holding mechanism being a plurality of shoe holding mechanisms; and the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms being serially connected to each other.
 16. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 11 comprises: the insert shell being an arcuate flexible body; the insert rim being a semi-rigid body; and the hanging cord being a ribbon-shaped body.
 17. A flexible footwear retaining device comprises: a hanging cord; a first stopper; a second stopper; an eyelet; at least one shoe holding mechanism; the at least one shoe holding mechanism comprises a first insert, a second insert, an extension arm, a crossbar, a first offset nub, and a second offset nub; the first insert and the second insert each comprise an insert shell and an insert rim; the insert shell comprises a shell body and a sole-shaped opening; the first stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the second stopper being laterally pressed around the hanging cord; the hanging cord being slidably engaged through the eyelet; the eyelet being positioned in between the first stopper and the second stopper along the hanging cord; the at least one shoe holding mechanism being laterally mounted to the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from the eyelet; the first insert and the second insert being positioned offset from each other; the sole-shaped opening traversing into the shell body; the insert rim being connected onto the shell body; the insert rim being positioned around the sole-shaped opening; the eyelet being terminally connected with the extension arm; the crossbar being terminally connected to the extension arm, opposite the eyelet; the first offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the second offset nub being orthogonally positioned with the crossbar and the extension arm; the first offset nub and the second offset nub being positioned opposite to each other along the crossbar; the first insert being adjacently connected to the first offset nub, offset the crossbar; the second insert being adjacently connected to the second offset nub, offset the crossbar; the insert shell being an arcuate flexible body; the insert rim being a semi-rigid body; and the hanging cord being a ribbon-shaped body.
 18. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 17 comprises: a first grip; a second grip; the first grip and the second grip each comprise a grip body and a compression locking mechanism; the first grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; the second grip being slidably engaged along the hanging cord; the eyelet, first stopper, and second stopper being positioned between the first grip and the second grip along the hanging cord; the grip body being laterally positioned around the hanging cord; and the compression locking mechanism being operatively integrated into the grip body, wherein the compression locking mechanism is used to selectively lock the grip body in place along the hanging cord.
 19. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 17 comprises: the insert shell further comprises a grasping hole and a plurality of apertures; the grasping hole and the plurality of apertures traversing through the shell body; the grasping hole of the first insert being adjacently positioned to the first offset nub; the grasping hole of the second insert being adjacently positioned to the second offset nub; the plurality of apertures being positioned around the grasping hole; the plurality of apertures being distributed across the shell body; the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented parallel with each other; and the sole-shaped opening of the first insert and the sole-shaped opening of the second insert being oriented in a uniform direction.
 20. The flexible footwear retaining device as claimed in claim 17 comprises: the at least one shoe holding mechanism being a plurality of shoe holding mechanisms; and the plurality of shoe holding mechanisms being serially connected to each other. 